Railroad-switch.



No. 680,537. Patented Aug. l3, I901. G MOORE RAILROAD SWITCH.

(Application 11166. Feb. 20, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet l.

- v (lloflodaL) R m M V l Gearya -flloore A TTOHNEY-S No. 680,537.Patented Aug. l3, l90|. G. MOORE.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

(Application filed Feb. 20, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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Georya/[oare ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. l3, l90l. G. MOORE. 1

RAILROAD SWITCH (Application filed.Feb. 20, 1901.) (No Model.) 4Sheets-Sheet 3.

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No. 680,537. Patented Aug. l3, 19m.

6. MOORE. RAILROAD SWITCH.

(Application filed Feb. 20, 1901. 4 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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PATENT GEORGE MOORE, OF ELLSWORTH, IOWA.

RAILROAD SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,557, datedAugust 13, 1901. Application filed PebruaryZO. 1901. Serialhlo. 48,099.(No model.)

To-aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, GEORGE MOORE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Ellsworth, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa, havein vented a new and Improved Railroad-Switch, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedrailroad-switch which is simple and durable in construction and arrangedto permit the engineer of a train to unlock and open the switch to pass,for instance, from the main track upon a side track and to then look theswitch in the open position or to pass the train from the side trackback to the main track and to again close the switch and lock it in aclosed position, all without the assistance of switch-tenders andwithout stopping the train.

Theinvention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a train provided with the means foropening and closing the switch. Fig. 2 is a plan view of theimprovement. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the sameon the line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of thedevice on the train for actuating the switch mechanism. Fig. 5 is atransverse section of the same on the line 5 5 in Fig. Fig. 6 is asectional plan view of the same on the line 6 6 in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is anenlarged transverse section of the improvement on the'line 7 7 in Fig.2. Fig. Sis a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 8 8 inFig. 7. Fig. 9 isan enlarged sectional plan view of one of the actuatingdevices for the switch-stand, the section being 011 the line 9 9 in Fig.10. Fig. 10 is a cross-section of the same on the line 10 10 in Fig. 0.Fig. 11 is a sectional side elevation of part of the same, the sectionbeing taken on the line 11 11 in Fig. 10, and Fig. 12 is a like view ofthe same with parts in a difierent position.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the main track is adapted to be connected witha side track A by the switch-rails A shifted by the mechanism of theswitch-stand B, located at one side of the track, as indicated in thefigure referred to. The switch-rails A are carried by atransversely-extending rod 0, connected by a pin 0 with a rod Cpivotally connected with a segmental gear-wheel 0 mounted to turnloosely on the lower end of the shaft B, carrying at its upper end asafety-signal B and a danger-signal B standing at a right angle to oneanother, as indicated in the drawings. On the shaft B of theswitch-stand is secured a segmental gear-wheel B in mesh with asegmental gear-wheel D, somewhat less in diameter than the segmentalgear-wheelD, secured with the gear-Wheel D on the shaft D and in meshwith the segmental gearwheel 0 previously mentioned. Thus when the shaftD is rotated a simultaneous rotary motion is transmitted to thegear-wheels B and 0 whereby the gear-wheel 13 turns the shaft B tochange the position of the signals 13 B from safety to danger, or viceversa, according to the direction in which the shafts D B are turned.The turning motion given to the gear-wheel C causes the rods 0 and G tomove transversely and shift the switchrails A from a closed positioninto an open position, or vice versa, according to the direc tion inwhich the shaft D is turned, it being understood that the signals B Bchange their positions according to the change of position of theswitch-rails.

The shaft D is provided with a diametrically-extending bar D connectedat its outer ends by two rod-and-lever connections E E,

with switch-stand-actnating devices F F, of I bar being secured on avertically-disposed.

shaft F mounted to turn in suitable bearings arranged on a framework Fas indicated in Figs. 2, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Near the u'pper end of the shaft F are secured arms F F, carrying neartheir inner ends a vertically-disposed pivot G for a lever G, extendingtoward the track A or A and provided with a depending loop G engaged bythe free end of a spring G extending through a loop G depending from thearm F (See Fig. 10.) The end of the spring G is secured in the shaft Fso that when a swinging motion is given to the lever G past a normalposition and then released the spring returns the lever toa normalposition. During the major portion of the swinging movement given to thelever G by devices on the train, as hereinafter more fully described,the lever is positively locked to the shaft F and for this purpose saidlever extends normally on opposite sides of two L-shaped dogs II II,mounted to swing in eyes F", formed on the arm F bers of the dogs H Habut against the under side of a plate F forming part of the framework Fsaid dogs being adapted to disengage the plate at shoulders F F wheneverthe lever G is moved to one side to bring the dogs past said shoulders.When this takes place, the swinging motion given to the lever causes thecorresponding dog against which it passes to swing upward into theposition shown in Fig. 12, so that the lever G becomes unlocked and isfree to swing farther, but against the tension of the spring G without,however, turning the shaft F hen a swinging motion is given to the leverG, the shaft F is turned, and the connections E E impart a swingingmotion to the shaft D so that the switch-rails A are opened or closed,according to which device F or F is actuated at the time.

The switch-levers A are locked in either a closed or open position, andfor this purpose a locking-plate I is provided, preferably made ofspring metal and formed with two apertures I 1", adapted to be engagedby the pivotpin 0', previously mentioned, so as to hold the rods 0 Cagainst transverse movement as long as the pin engages either of thesaid apertures. In order to move the lockingplate I out of engagementwith the pin 0 prior to actuating the devices F or F, I provide thelock-actuating devices J J, of which the device J is located along themain track A in close proximity to the device F, so that the device J isactuated previous to actuating the lever G of the device F, and therails A are unlocked before the deviceF is actuated and the switch-railsare shifted. The other device J is arranged alongside the track A inclose proximity to the device F and is likewise actuated previously tothe device F, so that the switch-rails A are unlocked previously toactuating the lever G of the device F.

The devices J J are alike in construction and each is arranged asfollows: The lever J extends to the outside of one of the trackrails andis pivoted at one end on a bracket J carried by one of therailroad-ties, and the opposite end of the lever carries a dependingNormally the upper men1- pin I, (see Fig. 3,) on which is coiled aspring J resting on one of the rail-ties andengaging the lower side ofthe lever J so as to hold the latter normally in a horizontal position,as indicated in Fig. 3. The free end of the leverJ is connected with alink J extending in an inclined direction, and the pivotal end of saidlever is likewise connected with an inclined bar J The lever J near itsfree end is connected by a link K with a bell-crank lever K, connectedwith a rod K and extending to the locking-plate I, as is plainlyindicated in Fig. 2.

On the inner ends of the rods K are formed wedge-shaped blocks K adaptedto ride on the top of the rod C to engage the under side of thelocking-plate I, so as to swing the same upward at its free end anddisengage the plate from the pin 0 whenever a lever J of either device Jor J is pressed in a downward direction. It is understood that when thele ver J is caused to swing downward against the tension of its spring Jby a device carried on the train, then the link K imparts a swingingmotion to the bell-crank lever K, and the latter pulls on the rod K soas to cause the corresponding wedge-shaped block K to move and impart anupward swinging motion to the locking-plate I to disengage the latterfrom the pin 0 and permit of opening or closing the switch-rails A Inorder to actuate the levers J of the devices J J, I providethe'loeomotive of a train with a device L, and a similar device L isarranged on the caboose or last car of the train. In order to actuatethe lovers G of the devices F F, I provide the locomotive with a deviceN, and a similar device N, but arranged at a different level, is locatedon the caboose or the last car of the train, it being understood thatthe devices N L and N L are duplicated on each side of the car orcaboose, and the deviceN is on a level with the lever G of the device F,while the device N is on a level with the lever G of the device F, sothat the device N only actuates the device F, while the device N onlyactuates the device F, as hereinafter more fully described.

Each of the devices L L consists, essentially, of a friction-roller Ljournaled in the lower end of a rod L mounted to slide in suitablebearings L attached to the locomo tive and caboose and containing aspring pressing on the rod L so as to allow the latter to yield. Thefriction-roller L normally stands sufficiently low to travel on the linkJ or J and finally move in engagement with the lever J, so as to depressthe same, for the purpose previously mentioned.

Each of thedevices N N is provided with a loop N (see Figs. 4, 5, and6,) projecting through a slot 0 in the front end of a casing 0, securedto the locomotive-cab, a car, or a caboose, as is plainly indicated inFig. 1. The loop N is secured on a bar N formed with an elongated slot Nthrough which extends a pin 0 carried by the casing, and the IIO upperend of the bar N is engaged by a handled rod N under the control of theen gineer or the conductor in the caboose. Normally the loop N is foldedin the casing O, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, so as not toproject from the side of the train; but when the train nears the switchthe engineer and the conductor impart a swinging motion to the bar N bymanipulating the rod N correspondingly to swing the bar and the loopinto the position shown in full lines in Figs. 5 and 6, so that the loopprojects from the side of the train and engages the lever G of thedevice F or F, it being expressly understood, however, that the loops Nof the locomotive and caboose are in different horizontal planes, sothat one engages the lever G of the device F and the other only engagesthe lever G of the device F. (Shown in Fig. 2.)

The operation is as follows: When the several parts are in the positionshown in Fig. 2, the switch is closed, and in case a train coming on themain track A in the direction of the arrow at desires to go upon theside track A then the engineer and conductor throw the loops N into anoutermost position, as above described. Then the train nears a switch,the friction-roller L of the device L on the locomotive engages the linkJ and lever J so as to impart a downward swinging motion to the leverand move the locking-plate I out of engagement with the pin 0, therebyunlocking the switch. Immediately after this has been accomplished theloop N on-the locomotive engages the lever G of the device F and impartsa swinging motion to the same in the direction of the arrow 1), wherebythe switch-rails A are moved into an open position to permit the trainto pass from the main track A upon the side track A: l/Vhen the lever Gis swung around in the direction of the arrow 1), a similar movement isgiven to the lever G of the device F, only in a reverse direction thatis, in the direction of the arrow c-so that the lever G when engaged bythe loop N of the device N on the caboose is swung in the inversedirection of the arrow 0, and consequently the switch-rails A are movedback to their former positions and the switch is again closed. Thusafter a train has completely passed upon the side track the switch isreturned to its former position, thereby leaving the main track free andclear for a following train. During the time the train passes from themain track upon the side track the switch-rails A? are held in a lockedposition by the pin C engaging the other aperture 1 of the locking-plateI, it being understood that as soon as the friction-roller L of thedevice L leaves the lever J of the device J then former position uponthe'withdrawal of the wedge K engages with the aperture 1 the pin 0 thuslocking the switch-rails in an open position. Previous to the device Non the caboose actuating the device F, as above described, thefriction-roller L of the device L engages the lever J of the device J,so as to unlock the open switch previous to shiftin g the switch-railsback to the normal closed position by the action of the device N on thelever G of the device F, as above described. Now in case the traindesires to back from the side track upon the main track then the devicesL N on the caboose successively unlock the closed switch-rails A andshift the same into an open position, so that the train can pass uponthe main track, and when the locomotive finally has passed upon the maintrack and beyond the devices J and F then the devices L and N on thelocomotive successively unlock and receive the switch, whereby theswitch-rails A move back into a closed position for the train to proceedon the main track A, if desired.

It is understood that the loops N are of such size as to impart aswinging motion to the levers G, more than is required for operating themechanism of the switch-stand B, and after the desired throw has beengiven to the switch-rail the lever G is moved farther by the loop andbecomes unlocked relatively to the dogs H H and the shaft F andconsequently the lever swings farther by the action of the loop untilthe loop finally leaves the free end of the lever, after which thelatter by the action of the spring G is returned to such position that aloop moving in the reverse direction again engages the lever, so as toshift the same for the purpose above described. Thus the levers G arealways left in active positions after a train has passed.

Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. A railroad-switch provided with aswitchstand having mechanism for opening and closing the switch, alocking device comprising a spring-plate having apertures for engaging apin on said mechanism for locking the switch in position, means actuatedby a device on the train for moving said plate out of engagement withthe pin to unlock the switch, and a device carried on the train foroperating the switch-stand mechanism to open or close the switch, as setforth.

2. Arailroad-switch provided withaswitchstand having a mechanism foroperating the switch and for giving danger or safety signals, a lock forlocking the switch-rails in position, an operating device for the lockto unlock it and arranged for engagement by a device on the train,shafts located on opposite sides of the switch-rails and connected withthe switch-stand mechanism for actuating the switch-rails, a lever oneach of said shafts, means for locking the lever to the shaft during apart of its movement, and de- IIO vices on the train and arranged toactuate ed with the switch-stand mechanism for actuating theswitch-rails, a lever fulcrumed on said shaft, a spring pressing saidlever, and dogsengaging the lever on opposite sides and arranged tounlock during partof the movement of the lever, to permit the lever toswing freely, as set forth.

5. A switch-stand having a shaft adapted to be oscillated and carryingsegmental gearwheels of different diameters, a signal and switch-railshaft having a fixed and a loose gear-wheel in mesh with said segmentalgearwheels, and a signal and switch controlled by said fixed and loosegear-wheels, as set forth.

6. A switch-stand having a shaft adapted to be turned and carryingsegmental gear- Wheels-of different diameters, a signal and switch-railshaft having a fixed and a loose gear-wheel in mesh with said segmentalgear- Wheels, a signal on said signal and switch-rail shaft, and aconnection between said loose gear-wheel and the switch-rails, as setforth.

7. Aswitch-stand having a shaft adapted to be turned and carryingsegmental gear- Wheels of different diameters, a signal and switch-railshaft having a fixed and loose gear-wheel i-n mesh with said segmentalgear- Wheels, a signal on said signal and switchrail shaft, a connectionbetween said loose gear-Wheel and the switch-rails, and a lock on saidconnection for locking the switch-rails in either an open or closedposition, as set forth.

8. Arailroad-sW-itch havingalockingdevice for the switch-rail-operati-ngmechanism, said lockingdevice comprising a spring-plate having aperturesfor en gaginga pin on said mechanism, a wedge-shaped block for engagingsaid plate and moving the latter out of engagement with said pin, and aspring-pressed lever arranged alongside the-rails and adapted the lowerside of said lever, inclined bars connected with the endsof the lever, abell-crank leverconnectedby a link with the said lever, and meansconnected with the bell-crank lever for actuating the locking device, asset forth.

110. A railroad switch provided with a switch-stand having mechanism foropening and closing the switch, a locking device for locking the switchin position, a device on the train for operating said locking device tounlock the switch, a lever connected with the switch opening and closingmechanism, and a device on the train for engaging the lever to operatethe said mechanism, the said device comprisingaloopmou-nted toswingandadapted to be projected from the side of the train to engage the saidlever, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

enonen MOORE.

